Dancing with the Wizards
by a-sleepingdragon
Summary: AU. Six years after the Final Battle, the Wizarding World has embraced Muggle technology and Fred has signed up to be on a new television show. "If there's one thing I can't do is dance," Fred said leaning against the huge mirrors that covered the whole of one wall. "Well I guess I'm going to have to change that," she answered, a wicked grin spreading across her face.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the HP world are the property of J. . I own nothing.

 **A/N:** The muses couldn't be kept at bay and after a lot of positive feedback on tumblr I decided to go ahead and start posting this story. Let's see how well I can juggle two stories at once. Updates will be sporadical (you've been warned) so please see my tumblr post for more info on it. Enjoy !

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Dancing with the Wizards

* * *

 _Come on and dance with us._

 _Monday 29th of June_

 _Season Premiere of "Dancing with the Wizards"_

 _Come on and dance with us._

The TV at The Burrow continued blaring the song while the entire Weasley family, their respective halves, as well as Harry and Hermione, were all gathered around it. It was their Saturday night ritual; a home cooked meal and an episode of their favourite reality TV show. They all had busy schedules and looked forward to huddling up in The Burrow's living room to spend some quality family time.

Six years after the Final Battle, the Magical World had rebuilt itself anew. The incorporation of Muggle culture into the Wizarding World had been a mandatory decision made by the new Ministry. The aim was for future wizarding generations to no longer feel a sense of superiority between the magical community and the Muggleborn one.

Over the years, the Muggle relations office had become one of the most important divisions in the Ministry of Magic. Responsible for the Wizard-Muggle cooperation, it had taken onto itself the task of introducing Muggle culture and technology into the Wizarding world. The whole division was led by Arthur Weasley whose passion and knowledge of Muggle items had proved invaluable, especially when talks of incorporating said items into the magical world had begun.

One of Arthur's decision was to incorporate Muggle technology into the Wizarding world; an idea that had many of the Wizengamot members protesting their distaste and petitioning for Arthur's removal from his position.

This only made the newly elected Minister, Kingsley Shaklebolt, more adamant to see the project through. The task was enormous and it took months of planning and the backing of private investors to get the project off the ground.

After that, it took less than a year for the first product to hit the shelves. The Wizard Mobile Phone had a less than successful start and was met with apprehension by the magical community. They had been using the Floo Network to communicate for so many years that they were apprehensive to any other form of communication. It made it even harder for them to use something that they had no prior knowledge of. It took Arthur and his team using Harry's notoriety as The-Boy-Who-Lived to promote its use to get it adopted by people.

For weeks the pages of Witch Weekly and The Daily Prophet were filled with pictures of Harry using his wizarding phone in various different situations. The most emblematic of them showed Harry chasing a known ex-Death Eater down the streets of Knockturn Alley and using his phone to call for backup.

Following that particularly good publicity stunt, shops had been full of people wanting to get their hands on a mobile phone, especially once they realised just how practical the little invention was. They no longer needed to find an owl or a chimney connected to a Floo Network to get in contact with their friends and families and Harry was let off his role as unofficial spokesperson for the brand.

Shortly after the mobile phone, computers and televisions were introduced to the wizarding population. Less dubious now that they were used to the wizarding phones, TV's and computers were quickly embraced by the magical community, with every household owning at least one of each.

With that came new opportunities in entertainment for wizards. A whole new world of possibilities opened to them. Music from the Muggle world was making a transition into the wizarding world, becoming a huge hit with the younger generation. The Weird Sisters now had to compete with the likes of Beyonce, Taylor Swift and One Direction (for which the loss of Zayn was as much a calamity in the Wizarding world as it was in the Muggle world). Young witches and wizards had even started to venture into the Muggle world to be able to see their favourite celebrities perform live. A big coup for the Ministry as it further encouraged witches and wizards to discover the Muggle world.

TV shows were especially successful due to the new kind of entertainment they brought without having to leave the house. Shows such as 'The Only Way is Diagon Alley' and 'Made in Beauxbatons' were absolute hits. The Weasley family, just like all the other families were as hooked to them as could be.

"Made in Beauxbatons" in particular was a firm favourite, to Fleur's great indignation. Every time they sat down to watch the show she reminded them of how dramatised it was and what an inaccurate picture it painted of her school. The girls, she said, were not at all that catty. Hermione and Ginny found that hard to believe seeing as the show reminded them of some of the girls at Hogwarts. It was during one of these Saturday night viewings when the advert for a new show appeared on their screen.

The advert showed two women in sequinned bodysuits with an attached fringed skirt coming down to mid-thigh, dancing with two young men in black high waisted trousers and white shirts. The top three buttons of the men's shirt were opened revealing their toned and hairless chests. The two couples performed different types of dances with intricate lifts and flips that had Mrs Weasley on the edge of her seat in wide-eyed admiration.

"What a wonderful idea for a new show," she said as she listened to the voiceover telling them about the debut show, her eyes twinkling in excitement.

Since the end of the war and all of her children having flown the nest, Molly had found herself with a lot of spare time on her hands. No longer having to cook or clean for her large brood, she had had to find new ways to occupy her spare time, which she found in the way of television amongst other things. Even after Victoire and Dominique were born and her duties as grandmother had begun, she still wasn't as busy as she used to be. Looking after two children was a walk in the part compared to seven.

"Penelope you have to tell us more about this new show," she said turning towards her daughter-in-law.

Penelope had married Percy two years ago and was working at the Wizarding TV Network as Senior Media Planner. She was the person they all went to whenever they needed information about a certain show. She indulged them as much as she could but was always careful to never divulge anything that might get her into trouble. She was firmly against spoilers and refused to reveal even the tiniest of information, no matter how much they begged for it. Most of the time, though, she kept things to herself, enjoying watching her family argue and debate over what would happen next, feeling oddly satisfied knowing something they didn't.

"Well, I'm not quite sure how much I can tell you," she answered, pondering the thought for a few minutes. "The show is based on the Muggle show called 'Strictly come Dancing' or in America 'Dancing with the Stars'. The whole gist of the show is that there are eight supposedly famous contestants that are partnered with professional dancers. Every week they have to compete against each other in a predetermined ballroom dance which will be scored by three judges and audience votes. The couple that receives the lowest combined judges score and audience votes will be eliminated each week until only the winning pair remains" she explained to her family.

"Everything was pretty hush-hush until now. For a while, we weren't sure if it would be something that would appeal to the viewers. Muggle dancing is a bit different from Wizarding dancing. There's also the fact that unlike the Muggle world we don't have very many celebrities per say or even professional dancers for that matter. And then we had to deal with all the logistics and adapt the show to wizarding standards. There was really no point in telling you until it was 100% certain" she continued.

"Do you know who is taking part?" Molly asked almost bouncing in an attempt to calm her down.

"I do," she said mischievously, "one, in particular, is in this room right now."

Early on Friday morning, she had received an email informing her that the contestants on 'Dancing with the Wizards' would be able to tell their families about their participation in the show come Monday morning. She didn't think it would hurt if the Weasley's got a two-day head start. Plus, she had been holding onto the information for months now and had been dying to tell them ever since. Behind Penelope's scholarly and uptight demeanour was a playful and good humoured person who, every now and again enjoyed engaging in a little tomfoolery.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth and almost simultaneously every head in the room turned to look at Harry. Mrs Weasley was now very certainly jumping up and down in her seat with excitement.

"Why are you all looking at me?" Harry said in mock outrage from where he was lying on the sofa, his head propped up on ginny's lap. "What makes you think that I would want to take part in that show?"

"Well, Penny did say that only famous contestants were taking part in this. And you are The-Boy-Who-Conquered-The-Forces-Of-Evil" George said from the floor, leaning against the armrest. "There is no one more famous than you."

"Well, it's not me so you can all stop staring. I'm sure you all remember the catastrophe that was the Yule Ball and you expect me to learn a new dance routine every week. I'd rather not look like a Flobberworm on live television, thank you very much. And anyway I've had enough attention to last me a lifetime. "

"He was asked, though," Ginny piped in and Harry huffed at her statement. He had rather hoped to live his life without that information being known. You could always count on Ginny to ruin your plans.

"Of course he was asked," Ron interrupted, a sore look on his face as he rolled his eyes.

"They even said that they had the perfect partner for him," Ginny continued while brushing her fingers through Harry's hair. "I wish they had asked me, I would have loved to take part in something like that."

"Ballroom dancing? Really? You've clearly been hit one too many times by a Bludger to your head" Ron snorted. "The whole thing is just ridiculous. I mean who would want to go learn to dance and be judged by strangers. And let's not forget being watched and most likely laughed at by millions of people. It's ridiculous and embarrassing. People would stop at nothing to get their five minutes of fame"

"Thankfully not everyone is as much of a grouch as you are. Or as insensitive. I think you've forgotten that someone in this room is taking part in the show. " Hermione intervened. "Now if you don't mind we still have to figure out who here is taking part in the show. I for one am curious and think it's a wonderful initiative," she finished giving Ron a deadly glare.

George burst out laughing while Bill watched the exchange in amusement. Watching Hermione put Ron back in his place was always entertaining. Ron never seemed to realise that what he was saying was hurtful or inappropriate and seemed surprised when Hermione would lash out at him. Merlin only knew he needed it sometimes.

"That would be me," said Fred sheepishly from the armrest of the sofa where he was sitting, feet dangling over the edge. His twin immediately stopped laughing and turned to look at his brother with a look of shock on his face.

"What do you mean that would be you?" George asked, going from being amused to surprised in a flash.

"Well, they came to me and asked if I wanted to take part in this new TV show. I was dubious at first but after having listened to them it seemed like a good idea, so I agreed. I thought it might be something fun to do, get out of my comfort zone and all that," he said to the group. Then turning to his twin, "I wanted to tell you, but they made me take a confidentiality vow," he explained.

Everyone in the room was looking on in surprise, not quite sure what to say. Out of all of them, the idea of Fred taking part in a dancing competition was the most incredulous.

"You're serious then? This isn't some kind of a joke?" George questioned.

It was common for the both of them to play pranks on each other. After all, when it came to testing their products it was the safest option. Some of the side effects that developed during the first stages could turn out to be quite nasty. Testing was as much a part of the creation as any spell or potion was and it was the only way to improve on it. The best way for them to do that was when the other didn't know what was coming, it guaranteed a better reaction and review of the product.

"Nope, not a prank. You're not upset are you?" Fred asked.

"No, I'm not upset. I just can't believe they asked you and not me." George said pouting while everyone else in the room snickered at his obvious jealousy.

"Blimey!" Ron snorted, leaning back against his chair, "I thought it was going to be Fleur. This is getting out of hand."

"Fleur was your brilliant choice? Four months pregnant Fleur? Aren't you a genius," Ginny mocked, rolling her eyes.

"She was riding a broom while six months pregnant with Dom. Dancing hardly seems unreasonable," Ron defended, resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at his sister. "This just seems like a bizarre idea, even for you," he said to Fred.

"Nonsense Ron," Molly interrupted. "I think it's a wonderful idea."

Since the end of the war, Molly had been particularly encouraging of everything the twins did. For weeks after the Final Battle, she had been so distraught at having almost lost Fred that her maternal instinct had gone into overdrive. The fear of having almost lost a child, especially one of the twins with whom she had always been harsh with had subdued the stricter side of her. She had been nothing but encouraging towards whatever her children decided to do. She didn't even blink twice when Ginny had announced that she wanted to play professional Quidditch and instead had baked a cake in the shape of a Quaffle to celebrate.

"I can't believe one of my sons is going to be on television," she said clapping her hands.

"I just mean that it's a bit weird for Fred to take part in such a show. It's not like he even likes to dance. If you wanted the attention you could have just gone and invented a new prank," Ron continued ignoring his mother's statement and oblivious to Bill's shaking of his head. "I just don't see why you would want to embarrass yourself."

Fred sighed and his brow furrowed in exasperation, the scar on the right side of his forehead that he had sustained during the Final Battle when the wall had fallen on him hidden in amongst all the creases. "Unlike some, I don't want to sit around and watch the world go by, I want to learn new things, fun things that push me out of my comfort zone and make me feel alive. I want to make the most of my life and if that entails humiliating myself on television so be it. We fought so hard for this life and it would be a waste to sit around and let it go by. I for one do not want to waste this opportunity to stand up proud and say that even though I failed I at least tried something new. That much can't be said about you." Fred finished leaning back against the back of the sofa, arms crossed in front of him a proud smirk on his face.

"Hear, hear" George shouted from beside him, raising his hand for a high-five. Around the room, everyone cheered Fred's wise words while Ron sulked in his chair.

"So what's going to happen next Fred," Ginny asked upon settling back down.

"I have to go down to the network and sign the contract on Monday and then straight to the studio to meet my partner. We have to start rehearsing then and there. We only have two weeks until the premiere. I don't know what to expect from her, I just hope she won't be too tough on me."

"Well I feel bad for her, she's got her work cut out for her with a partner like you" Bill joked.

"Let's just hope she's fit. After all, you will be spending quite a bit of time with her, it couldn't hurt if she was a looker" George interrupted. "Though it might things harder for you."

From her seat on the armchair, Hermione's cheeks turned a shade of light pink. Nobody seemed to notice, too preoccupied with questioning Fred. Except for Harry who smiled at her knowingly and sent a wink her way before returning to the conversation at hand.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the HP world are the property of J.K. Rowling I own nothing.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

'Dancing with the Wizards'

* * *

Fred was rummaging through his chest of drawers, desperately looking for something he could wear. Nothing seemed adequate and he kept on throwing items of clothing over his shoulder and onto a growing pile of clothes on the floor. He was in an absolute frenzy. Today was his first day at "Dancing with the Wizards". Today was the day he got to meet his dance partner, the person he would be spending the next eight weeks with. The person he was going to spend long hours, in close proximity with, learning how to dance. He wanted to make a good impression. The possibility of him looking like a fool when dancing was a looming thought that he did not cherish and worst of all he would look a fool doing so.

"George, have you seen my black workout shorts? The ones I bought sometime last year. Remember?" Fred shouted loud enough that the people out on the street could probably hear him.

He had moved from the chest of drawers to the cupboard, pulling things out before inevitably throwing it onto the floor. When did he get so many clothes? He was halfway entrenched in the cupboard, his legs the only visible part of his body when George walked in.

"Considering the last time you wore them was two years ago when Harry tried to teach us how to play foofball, I'm going to go for no, I haven't seen them," he said, leaning against the door frame, a glass of pumpkin juice in his hand.

He had been quite peeved last night after finding out about Fred's participation in the show as well as being left out. But now, seeing his brother panic, he was relieved for not having to go through it. He could now relax and enjoy teasing Fred.

"Why don't you just wear your Quidditch gear, it's close enough," he suggested.

Fred removed himself from the cupboard, his hair in disarray from rubbing against the fabric. "I can't wear Quidditch clothes to a dance rehearsal, they don't go together." Fred sighed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and his brother was being purposely obtuse, before diving back, head first into the confines of the cupboard.

"Sorry, didn't realise this was a fashion competition too."

"Be serious George, I've got nothing to wear." Fred groaned running his hand through his hair.

George chuckled, he enjoyed seeing his brother panic especially when he wasn't included in it. It wasn't a regular occurrence so it was all the more satisfactory when it happened.

They had learned early on that it was essential to keep their cool in any and every situation; a requirement when your livelihood depended on you playing pranks on people. The last time he had seen Fred this flustered was when they had to tell their mum they had left Hogwarts to start their joke shop. This obviously meant a lot to his brother.

"Are you a wizard or what? Just transfigure something into appropriate workout wear" George answered. "And stop whining, you're going to put off your partner in less than a minute with that attitude."

Fred extirpated himself from the depths of the cupboard and chucked a t-shirt at George's face which he easily ducked, rolling his eyes at his brother's petulant attitude. "Violence is never the answer," George said teasingly before walking off, leaving Fred to his last minute preparations.

He would have to pace himself if he wanted to have enough material t tease Fred with until the end of the show. After all, he had to make Fred pay for keeping such a secret from him for so long.

* * *

Fred stepped out of the fireplace and into a brightly light entrance. He dusted the soot off his clothes which he had transfigured as per his brother's suggestion into an appropriate all-black workout outfit.

The waiting room of the Wizarding Television Network was decorated in all white scheme, with clean almost clinical like decorations and large bay windows. There was a large flat-screen TV on the wall opposite the reception desk, where a young girl, barely out of Hogwarts sat. With long blonde hair that reached her waist, she was browsing on her computer, a bored look on her face, her long nails tapping on the glass of the table. She hadn't even looked up upon Fred's arrival and he now walked over to her, a large gym bag slung over his shoulder.

"Hi, I'm here to meet Rosaleen Moore from Dancing with the Wizards to sign my contract," Fred said, having cleared his throat to attract her attention.

"Name?" She asked without even looking away from her computer screen.

"Fred Weasley."

The young girl grabbed the phone lying beside her mouse and dialled a number, using it as casually as if she were holding a wand.

It had been almost three years since the implementation of mobile phones in the Wizarding world and Fred was still not used to seeing people use them so casually even though he owned one himself. He still occasionally found himself casting a Patronus or sticking his head in a fireplace to contact his family. Old habits really did die hard.

"I've got a Fred Weasley here for you," the young receptionist said into the phone, her tone monotone.

"-reat!" said a voice from behind him which was preceded by a loud popping noise.

Fred turned around to see a petite brunette standing in front of him, a large smile on her face. She was wearing a dark blue wrap dress and nude ballet flats while large files were precariously balanced in the crook of her left arm. Her other hand was holding onto her wand while her ear was pressed to her phone.

"Hi, I'm Rosaleen but you can call me Rosie. It's so nice to finally meet you, Mr Weasley. We, here at WTN are so glad that you decided to take part in the show. Your reputation and good humour are exactly what we were looking for, for 'Dancing with the Wizards'." Fred looked over his shoulder, surprised at the level of enthusiasm and cheerfulness that came from such a small woman, only to see the receptionist roll her eyes at Rosie's behaviour before disconnecting the call and returning to her computer. This was obviously a regular occurrence and she was less than amused by it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rosie," Fred answered while she removed her phone from her ear and put it on top of her files. "And please call me Fred" he finished, sticking his hand out to shake hers which she vigorously did, balancing her things expertly with one hand.

"Very well Fred. If you'd like to follow me into my office so we can go through your contract one last time. Once that's done, I'll take you to the dance studio to meet your partner," she said indicating towards a door next to the reception desk he hadn't noticed when he entered, so well concealed as it was.

"Lead the way" he answered giving her a charming smile.

Rosie walked past him and towards the door and with a complex wave of her wand unlocked it, walking through into a long corridor. Similarly decorated to the waiting room with doors lined on each side of the white walls. Fluorescent lights added a painful glare to the corridor which only added to the clinical look of it. There wasn't a person in sight and an eerie silence resonated along the walls. Compared to the Ministry of Magic with its dark corners and underground passages heaving with people this was a huge contrast. He didn't know which one he preferred more, both of them being on the drastic scale of things.

"I have to say, I am a huge fan of your work," Rosie said interrupting the silence of the hallway. "My brother and I like to engage in semi-friendly prank wars and in recent years your products have really helped us up the ante. I switched his yo-yo to your screaming one and he was so startled I swear he peed a little" she continued, giggling along as she told the story.

Fred laughed at the thought of her brother's reaction. He loved getting feedback from his customers, it was the best part of his job and a testament to a job well done. He got as much a thrill from it as from the whole creation process. Fred was pleased that Rosie took pleasure in his products, any women who enjoyed a good prank was a woman he could get along with. He could already tell from her enthusiasm and happy demeanour that he would definitely enjoy working with her. It was a welcome change from the people he normally met that worked for the Wizarding Television Network, all serious and broody. For people who worked in entertainment they always seemed so dull, Rosie was the exact opposite of that.

They finally arrived in front of a door no different from any of the others and Fred wondered how she knew this was her office and if she had ever entered the wrong room by mistake.

Rosie waved her wand in a complex move once more, muttering under her breath before pushing the door open and striding in. He followed her through and was surprised at just how different it was from the rest of the building.

The office was small but cosy. The walls were a dark grey hue and the room was filled with dark wooden furniture. On the far side of the room was an antique wooden desk facing a small black bookshelf chock full of books and pictures. On the other side of the room, facing the door was a small wooden coffee table and two comfy looking armchairs. Scattered across the coffee table were more books and a handful of gossip and entertainment magazines thrown in between.

"Can I get you anything to drink? Tea, Coffee, Pumpkin juice?" Rosie asked, indicating the armchairs for him to take a seat while she dropped the files she was holding onto the table.

"Nothing thank you. I just had breakfast," Fred answered looking at all the pictures on the wall. They all seemed to be of her and her family at various stages of her life, laughing and waving at whoever was taking the picture.

"Straight to business then," Rosie continued, her voice taking on a more serious tone.

Sitting down and pulling out different parchments from her files. Fred moved away from the pictures on the wall, sitting on the chair next to Rosie's dropping his bag at his feet.

"Right, so first we have the confidentiality clause. It states that you're not allowed to reveal who your partner is to any member of the press or the public apart from family until production has Ok'ed it," she said, handing the parchment to him as she went along.

"The second document is the salary package. As you can see the amount increases the further you go into the competition with the winner receiving a bonus. At the bottom, there, we have the basic rules of the show. No alcohol, drugs or promiscuity. Showing up drunk to rehearsals or show times will get you suspended. No fighting, be it physically or magically with pros, other contestants or members of staff. This will also lead to suspension on both parts."

"Promiscuity? Really?" Fred said, his eyebrows raised as he looked through the document Rosie had just handed him.

Having had a business for seven years now he had become quite an expert in dealing with contracts and other documents. He had learned early on to always pay particular attention to such documents as people always tried to slip in the most ridiculous things last minute, in the hopes that the other person wouldn't notice.

"Yes, well, we are well aware of the attractiveness of some of our dancers and don't want any issues. You are an adult and we are aware we can't stop you from living your life. We just don't want to see or hear about any of it. And we definitely don't want any lovers spat happening in our studios or advertised in the papers. This is a family show after all, " she continued and Fred nodded his head in understanding, while his eyes scanned the parchment haphazardly.

"It's pretty straightforward, after that. Hours are ten to five but of course, you can come earlier or leave later. I will be you and your partner's representative, so if you have any questions or problems you come to me to talk about it. If need be I will take it up with the appropriate member of management but hopefully, we can sort it out between us. I will also be overseeing your rehearsals for a few hours every day so we will get to know each other pretty well in the coming weeks" she finished with a large smile.

"Well everything seems fine here," Fred said indicating the documents, nothing having changed from the first time he had read through all those weeks ago when they had first approached him.

"Do you have a quill?" He asked and Rosie pulled out a self-inking quill from the pocket of her dress and gave it to Fred. He took hold of the quill and smiled, it never ceased to amuse him to see people using his products on a day to day basis. He signed all three documents and the ink shone a bright gold indicating that the papers were now a legal and binding contract.

"Great!" Rosie beamed taking back her quill and the contracts from Fred and putting them back into her file. "Do you have any questions before we go and meet your partner?" she asked.

"We're going now?" Fred asked startled. He had expected there to be a lot more formalities before he actually got to meet his partner. "Aren't we going to talk about other contestants, filming, crew?"

"We'll get to that in time. You'll be meeting some of the other contestants in a few days time when we shoot the promotional pictures for the show. And there'll be a meeting about the filming of the live show a few days before the premiere," she answered, vanishing the files they are just signed away and standing up to get a new stack from her desk.

"Are those all your questions?"

"Is my partner nice? Will I like her?" He asked sheepishly, his cheeks tinged a light pink as he rubbed his neck nervously. It didn't normally bother him to meet new people but for some reason, this whole situation was making him more anxious than he had ever been.

"Oh, I think you're going to like her. I'm sure you'll feel as if you've known her all your life," Rosie said with a mischievous smile that did nothing to calm Fred's nerves.

"If you don't have any more questions then I think we should be on our way. You don't want to keep your partner waiting," she continued holding her arm out so they could both Apparate out.

He stood up, picking up his bag and then taking hold of Rosie's forearm, he nodded silently to her, indicating to her that he was ready to go. He took a deep breath and nodded to Rosie to indicate that he was ready.

He was putting his reputation and potential social life in the hands of a random person. He had never depended on anyone but his twin and occasionally his family.

Fred felt himself being pulled by the navel and his body contorted and squeezed into the tight tube of Apparation before his feet landed firmly onto polished wood.

He blinked tentatively trying to adjust to the brightness of the room. Large bay windows featured on one side of the room while the opposite wall was lined with full-length mirrors, reflecting the light across the room, making the room appear bigger than it actually was.

Fred's gaze swept across the room and landed on a small form sat hunched on a chair in the farthest corner of the room, her hair falling in wild honeyed curls around her face, obscuring it from view. But Fred didn't need to see the person's face to know who his partner was. He'd be able to recognise that hair anywhere.

"Hermione?!"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The characters of the HP world are the property of J K Rowling. I own nothing.

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

'Dancing with the Wizards'

* * *

"Surprise!" Hermione said as she stood up, walking towards the two of them.

Fred turned to Rosie with a shocked look on his face, confused as to what was happening and wondering if this was some kind of weird initiation ritual they had on the show. But when he looked at her she just smiled at him and gave him two thumbs up. At Fred's continued confused look, Rosie cleared her throat and assumed her professional ways.

"Fred, this is your dance partner. I believe you are already well acquainted with her," she said a large satisfied smile on her face as if she had just pulled off the biggest reveal in the history of magic.

"How is this possible," Fred asked, dumbstruck, his eyes darting between the two women.

"Well, a few months ago we advertised for professional dancers for a new TV show and surprisingly Hermione was one of the people that answered the ad. We were a dubious at first. I mean nobody had ever heard of Hermione Granger as having any dancing talent but she proved us wrong. Like she always does might I add. The board of management almost jumped up in joy when they found out about her hidden talent. And that's saying a lot considering they're a bunch of old, cranky men. But I'm sure Hermione will explain it all much better than I can."

Fred continued to stare at them dubiously while Hermione nervously played with the hem of her tank top. It wasn't the reaction Rosie had hoped for. She had hoped for some stunned silence followed by cries of joy and perhaps one of them jumping in the others arms, most probably Fred. At this point, any reaction would have been better than this staring contest that was going on. It was going to be a long ten weeks if they were going to spend it in demure silence. She knew she should give them time, it was only their first day and they were both a little nervous. This was her first job as a professional and she was desperate to do well.

"Before you two get started or whatever you want to do, I have to inform you of a few things," she said, levitating her files and computer onto the small table and dusting her hands off on her skirt.

"There are three cameras in this room," she said pointing to the three golden balls that were hovering in the corner of the room. "They are designed after Snitches with an inbuilt camera in the body. The wings allow them to move freely around and tape everything from different angles. Most of the time you'll be free to rehearse as you please but every now and again I will come in and ask you some questions. Sometimes together, sometimes separately. That and whatever the Snitches capture will be put together to show the audience during the live show; a little montage of what you've been up to during the week before you go on to your dance. Any questions? No! Well, I'm going to be right there, " she said pointing to her makeshift desk, eager to let them get started. "If you need anything let me know. Otherwise just pretend I'm not here," she finished turning on her heels and heading to the table where she sat down and opened her computer, effectively ignoring Fred and Hermione. She had done her part for the day, now it was up to them.

Fred was at a loss for words, a rare occasion for someone who always had something witty to say. He stared at Hermione with a look of confusion on his face. He couldn't put together the know-it-all Hermione from school with her rule-abiding ways to the so-called professional dancer standing in front of him; with her dark grey high waisted leggings and black long sleeved crop top. He had to admit she really did look the part. He noticed a sliver of flesh peeking out from under her top and he had to make a conscious decision not to stare at it too much.

It was odd seeing her in such form fitting clothes, he normally only ever saw her in her strict work clothes or her more comfortable Sunday clothes, jeans and oversized sweaters. He somehow felt like he was breaking some kind of unspoken rule about seeing your brother's best friend in tight clothing. He was still a man after all and nobody would fault him for finding her attractive in such clothing. Fred shook his head to get rid of the thoughts, this wasn't the time and there were more important things at hand.

Casting a quick glance towards Rosie, he grabbed Hermione's upper arm and dragged her to the far end of the room. "When did you-? How long have you-? Where did you-?" he stammered through the questions, not knowing which question he wanted answers to first.

Hermione chuckled at Fred's sudden inability to speak correctly. It was a rare occasion to render one of the Weasley twins speechless; she could now admit to being part of the rare few, a title she was sure to make use of.

"I started dancing when I was three, my mother enrolled me in ballet classes at the local school," she started, indicating the floor for them to sit down on. It was going to be a long explanation and they might as well make themselves comfortable. "I didn't like it, though. It was just too much pink for me and the tutus were oddly itchy. My mum could see that I didn't like it but she wanted me to have some extracurricular activities and not stay at home, reading. Can you believe that?" Fred snorted, he could very well imagine a little Hermione pouting over the fact she wasn't allowed to go home and read.

"Mrs Ryan, our next door neighbour suggested Ballroom dancing to my mother. I was not pleased," Hermione continued chuckling to herself at the memory. "I thought I had just gotten out of ballet only to be enrolled in another similar class. Oddly enough, though, I ended up really liking it. It was different, less focused on individualistic performance. Contrary to ballet classes you have to be partnered up in ballroom. It also requires less conditioning and flexibility. There was also the variety aspect to it. Having to learn a new dance every week kept me interested, it was a challenge. And let's face it, it was much less girly than ballet. So I stuck to it and as I grew up I started competing with other dance schools from the age of six. By the time I turned twelve and got my letter to Hogwarts I was about to start entering professional competitions. Choosing between magic and dance was one of the hardest decisions I've had to make."

Hermione paused, glancing toward Fred to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep only to be surprised by how captivated he seemed with her story.

"I was so excited when I found out that magic was real and that I could go to a school where I could learn about it. But it also meant that I would have to stop dancing. It wasn't easy, dancing had become such a big part of my life and stopping it left a void in me. It was a creative outlet that I didn't have anymore that I ultimately filled with school work and all of Harry's misadventures. The summer holidays were my excuse to get my full on dance for the year. I would enrol in intense dance courses to catch up on what I had missed. I couldn't bring myself to give it up completely. You know me I never leave anything unfinished. Dancing comes so naturally to me, it's second nature, it's part of who I am. Just like pranking is part of who you are."

Fred couldn't help but smile at that, he could easily understand how important this was to her. Not only because of the pranking analogy but because of the way she spoke about it. The passion and excitement in her voice reminded him of how he was whenever he spoke about his shop or the tricks he played on his friends and family.

"The only time my two worlds came together was in Fourth year with the Yule Ball. I couldn't have been happier only to realise that Muggle dancing was very different to Wizarding dancing. It was still fun and I enjoyed myself. During Fifth year, I used the Room of Requirement as a dance studio. I spent more time there than anywhere else. With Umbridge around, I really needed somewhere to go to relieve stress. I'm surprised nobody noticed my absences. That was the last year I really danced. After that, the war happened and there was no way I could continue. So that's my 'how' I suppose," Hermione finished, her tongue heavy from all the talking.

"And you've been hiding this from us for all these years?" Fred said, astounded by all the information he had just been made privy to.

"It's not something that comes up easily in conversation. I thought about telling you guys but every time I gathered the courage something would come up. After a while, I just stopped wanting to tell you, with everything that was going on in our lives it seemed silly and a little insensitive to reveal something so inconsequential to our lives. There wasn't ever a good time to just come out and tell you guys. And after the war, well, I just thought it was redundant by then." Hermione said nervously playing with the hem of her top. "To be honest with you, dancing is a really big part of my life. It made me into the person I am today. And I was afraid that once you'd all find out about that, that you'd be upset that I kept it a secret for so long or that you would take it the wrong way."

"Nonsense Hermione" Fred interrupted. "We would never be upset with you. Surprised? Of course. Confused? Probably. But angry? Never! It is so obviously an important part of your life, we would never do or say anything to demean that. It's like being angry at Ginny for playing Quidditch. But seriously is there nothing you can't do? Merlin," Fred said. He paused for a second thinking about what he wanted to say next. "What I want to know is how you got into all of this."

Hermione sighed and brushed her hair out of her face. "You said last night you wanted to get out of your comfort zone, try something new. That's how I was starting to feel. I've been working in the Muggle Liaison office since the end of the war. I went straight from the battlefield to rebuilding Hogwarts to my job at the Ministry. I was so focused on trying to make the world a better place so that future generations would never have to deal with prejudice based on their blood that I forgot to enjoy myself. I woke up on the anniversary of the Final Battle and realised that I had let six years of my life pass me by. I realised that I needed to change my life, to do something for myself. Something different, something new, something, might I say crazy. And two weeks later I heard about 'Dancing with the Wizards'. Now if I believed in all that cosmic sign rubbish I would say that this was a pretty big one. I did a little bit of digging and realised that this was exactly what I needed. I thought I'd go in as a contestant but when the team found out I had dance training they decided to take me on as a pro. So I decided to take a two-month sabbatical to take part in the show. Merlin knows the office owes me with all the overtime I've done for them during the years."

"And you're saying nobody knows," Fred asked, he couldn't believe Hermione had kept this all to herself for so long. How had nobody noticed when she hadn't turned up to work, he was positive she met almost daily with Harry for lunch.

"Harry knows but it wasn't of my own choice. He found out when the producers asked him if he wanted to be a part of the show. They thought they could entice him by saying I would be his partner. Rosie said he didn't believe them at first and laughed in their faces. Actually laughed." Fred looked over Hermione's shoulder to Rosie who was nodding her head in agreement as Hermione spoke.

"It took them showing him my contract for him to realise it wasn't a joke. He then stormed into my office and demanded an explanation. He still had a hard time believing me after I told him the whole story and he made me prove it by dancing" she said rolling her eyes. "He promised to keep the secret until I was ready to tell everyone else and the contract allowed me to. I do have to say it was nice to have someone to talk to about this. When I told him that you were going to be my partner, he couldn't stop laughing, he kept on repeating: 'who would have thought' and then bursting into fits of laughter".

Hermione paused having finally reached the end of her lengthy explanation, she was positive she had never talked to Fred more in one sitting than she had today. The brunette always found it difficult to talk to him, not because they didn't get along or didn't have anything to talk about but because it wasn't a reflex of hers. Whenever she went to The Burrow she always spent time with Harry, Ron and Ginny as well as Bill who always had some interesting stories about curse breaking. She would, of course, ask about the shop and how he and George were doing but she never really took the time to get to know him. She supposed all of that was about to change.

"Is there anyone who has any faith in my dancing skills?" Fred said exasperatedly.

"I do, don't you worry" she answered, patting his knee. "We're going to have a lot of work, though, especially considering that compared to all the other pro's I am the one with the least experience" she sighed.

"I demand a refund, Rosie," Fred said in fake outrage. "You gave me a substandard partner!" he said to Rosie in fake outrage. Hermione rolled her eyes and punched his arm for good measure.

"I am more than capable, thank you very much," she retorted. " What I lack in experience I more than makeup in technical knowledge. Speaking of," Hermione said with a knowing smile, "I think we should get some work done today. We've got the cha-cha as our first dance and -"

Hermione was interrupted mid-sentence by Fred's booming laugh. "Is that an actual name for a dance," he finally asked when he had managed to calm down. "Muggles really don't go through much trouble to name things" he teased.

"We'll see if you'll be laughing when you've got to do it," Hermione said standing up and dusting the back of her leggings off.

"The first thing you've got to know about the cha-cha is that it has a four by four syncopation where five steps are danced in four beats of music," she continued as she gathered her hair into a loose bun at the top of her head. "Everything in the cha-cha is based on the counting, 'one, two, cha-cha-cha.'"

Hermione glanced towards Fred who looked confused and unsure about how they had gone from having a friendly conversation to Hermione giving him dancing instructions.

"Don't just sit there," Hermione said waving for him to stand up.

Fred looked around the room to make sure she was talking to him and not to someone else but the only other person was Rosie who was typing furiously on her keyboard.

"The footwork is very simple but it's important that you get it right. You're essentially alternating between the ball of your foot to the sole. Ball-flat, ball-flat," she explained, standing next to the prankster as she demonstrated the correct footwork.

Fred's brow furrowed in concentration as he watched her. Hermione couldn't help but smile at that. She had never seen Fred so concentrated on anything, not even his NEWTS.

"You'll notice the hip action when I move from ball to foot. That is an important fixture in the cha-cha. It's got to be smooth, the best thing is to imagine you doing an eight pattern with your hip bone. I don't want any shaking or twisting, just a smooth eight. Now you try. Just the footwork first."

Fred took a tentative step forward trying to remember what Hermione had just told him. Something about a ball. Right, ball-flat. Fred kept on repeating to himself as he took a few steps forward under Hermione's stern gaze.

"Not bad but you have to make it look smoother. You also need to take smaller steps, they need to fit into the beat. Remember 'one, two, cha-cha-cha'." Fred nodded at her words. "Do it again" she instructed.

Hermione made Fred walk up and down the room until she was satisfied with his footwork and was sure that it was ingrained in his mind. She had a lot to teach him and was adamant that he should have a proper basis from each dance as it would make a big difference when learning choreographies. In the long haul, it would make it easier for him to grasp what she taught.

"Let's start on those hip movements," Hermione said as she checked the time on the clock that hung on the wall.

Fred nodded silently, small beads of sweat already appearing on his forehead. Who would have thought that walking around a room would be so hard?

They stood in the middle of the room, facing the mirrors as Hermione demonstrated the required hip action and footwork for the dance. Fred watched her intently before trying it on his own.

As soon as he started moving Hermione knew that this was not going to be as easy as she had thought. Fred looked like a disjointed robot as he tried to copy her. His movements were jerky and stiff when they should have been smooth and effortless. The brunette knew that Fred had no dancing experience and hadn't expected any miracles but the poor boy looked terribly awkward and stiff.

Hermione turned to look at Rosie who had stopped typing and was staring at Fred, bug-eyed, trying hard not to laugh, her shoulders shaking silently in mirth.

"I look ridiculous !" Fred whined as he looked at himself in the mirror. His movements looked nothing like the ones Hermione had been doing.

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek, stifling her own laugh. It was going to be a long eight weeks.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the HP world are the property of J. I own nothing.

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

'Dancing with the Wizards'

* * *

"I think that's enough for today,' Hermione said looking at the clock that hung on the wall over Rosie.

She had spent the better part of the day teaching Fred the basic steps required for the cha-cha, hopelessly trying to make him loosen up. She hadn't managed to achieve what she had expected but it wasn't overly bad either. At least he knew his left from his right which was more than some people could ever hope to achieve.

They had had a quick lunch break where Rosie had taken the opportunity to explain to them their schedule for the coming weeks. The first live show was in three weeks and in between their rehearsal time they had to squeeze in a photoshoot for their promotional material and a TV advert. Soon enough their faces and those of the other contestants would be plastered all over Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. There wasn't going to be a person alive who wouldn't know about 'Dancing with the Wizards'. And all of that was without counting the meetings they would need to have with the costume designers as well as all the interviews they had to film for the show. The Wizarding TV Network was going all out to make sure their show was a success.

Hermione had huffed in annoyance at having her rehearsal time entrenched upon. She had already planned to use every minute available to practice their routine to perfection; she wanted to make a good, strong, first impression with the judges to prove to them that they were serious competitors. She had even hoped that if they made good progress they might be able to start practicing for their second dance. That was going to be impossible now. She would have to sit down and plan the rest of the week all over again.

"Ready for dinner tonight?" Hermione asked, wiping her sweat with a towel all while digging single handedly in her bag for her wand.

From his horizontal position on the floor, Fred emitted a low groan before pushing himself up on his forearms.

"They're going to have so many questions aren't they?"

"Oh just a smidge," Hermione chuckled as she finally wrenched her wand out from the bottom of her bag. "I mean it's not like Molly moved this week's dinner forward so she could be the first to hear what you have to say. Or that Ginny won't figure out you're hiding something from her and threaten to jinx you if you don't tell her what it is. Even Bill isn't opposed to using his wife's Veela charms against you if he thought he might get something out of you."

"You're talking as if they're not going to be pestering you about it too. I'm willing to wager they'd have more questions for you than they would for me," he said, wincing slightly as he stood up.

"Yes, but they don't know I'm your partner and they won't know until the promotional shoot is done, which gives me more than enough time to prepare myself for the onslaught of questions."

Fred's face lit up in mischievous delight as he sauntered to her side. "Funny that. Just this morning as I was signing my contract, Rosie told me I could inform my family about the identity of my partner if I so wished. And dare I say I very much do so."

"You wouldn't," Hermione gasped, spinning around to face him, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Wouldn't I Hermione? Wouldn't I?" He watched in unabashed glee as Hermione slumped down on the chair opposite Rosie.

"Think of it as ripping a bandaid. Quick and painless," he continued.

"Quick and painless my arse," she responded while opposite her Rosie looked at them in amusement.

"Someone's been spending too much time with Ron," he tutted, taking way too much pleasure in the situation.

"Don't think I'm not going to get you back for this," Hermione continued, folding her arms across her chest, unhappy with the sudden role reversal. She had been quite content being the one doing the teasing, not being teased.

"Where's your sense of camaraderie?"

"It disappeared once you started blackmailing me."

Fred chuckled at her words, "Come now, we don't want to be late," he said as he picked up her bag and handed it to her, a new found swagger in his actions.

* * *

Fred and Hermione Apparated into the backyard of the Burrow with a loud pop. The twins were big believers in making an entrance and Fred wasn't about to let their reputation slide even when he wasn't with his twin. Plus it was always fun to watch people startle.

George and Ron were busy laying the table with Molly's mismatched dinner plates while Bill conjured Bluebell flames into empty jam jars to keep them warm. Even though it was the beginning of June, the English weather meant that the evenings were still cool and impossible to bear without a little warmth.

"Fred's here," George hollered as he put down the plates he was carrying and made his way towards them. "With Hermione, no less."

"I told you we should have come here separately," Hermione whispered to Fred as they made their way towards the others.

"Why does it matter. It's not like we're hiding a tawdry relationship," he said wiggling his eyebrows at her. "Unless…"

Hermione swatted his shoulder and nervously pulled at the sleeves of her longline cardigan. "Unless nothing," she hissed. "Don't you dare even think about it or I'll Bat Bogey you so hard you'll wish Ginny would have done it."

Fred guffawed, slightly unsure whether the brunette was joking or if she was serious. One could never be too certain when it came to Hermione.

"What's happening here?" George questioned, grabbing Dominique has she ran past them.

"Nothing," the two of them answered in unison. George stopped short in front of them, his eyebrow rose in surprise.

"What do you think Dom?" George asked the little girl who was busy poking his cheek. "I think something fishy is going on between these two."

"I'm going to see if Molly needs any help in the kitchen," Hermione said, ruffling Dominique's hair as she passed by them. The earlier she made her escape, the better.

"Up, up," the little girl clamoured, uninterested in the conversation of grown-ups.

"I'm just an ends to a means for you aren't I?" George asked, tickling her belly before tossing his niece in the air and catching her deftly as if she weren't any heavier than a Quaffle.

Dominique squealed in delight as George threw her in the air two more times before putting her back down. Once back on the ground, the little girl ran to her older sister who was busy playing with a set of dolls, eager to tell her all about her experience flying.

"So? How was it?" George asked his twin as they made their way to the others.

"Fine," Fred answered, pausing to think about a better answer without revealing too much. "Unexpected, I suppose. It's going to be a lot of work."

"When has that ever stopped us," George said matter of factly. "But first tell me how it went. Did you meet your new partner? I need details."

"Later," Fred continued. "Once everyone is here. I don't want to have to repeat myself."

"You don't want to have to repeat yourself," George reiterated, his voice going up a few octaves in surprise. "Since when do you wait to tell me something. I'm not some peasant that gets told things with everyone else."

"Trust me, you're going to be glad I didn't spoil it for you," Fred teased, patting his twin on the back as they made their way to the house.

* * *

"So, Fred, tell us about your day," Molly said as she put the last of the dishes down onto the dining table unable to contain her excitement any longer.

Fred had stuck to his word and had refused to talk about even the smallest thing concerning his first day on 'Dancing with the Wizards'. No matter how much they begged or pleaded he stood firm, insisting he would tell them everything over dinner. This only made Molly more eager to get the food out and she had employed Hermione, Fleur, and Ginny to help her finish preparing the meal in the kitchen.

Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at him and Fred answered their questioning gaze with a knowing smirk.

"Well in the morning I met with Rosie, my junior producer, who will be overseeing my partner and me. She will also be liaising with senior producers in case we need anything. We went through my contract and discussed some of the rules," Fred said before launching into a detailed explanation of the more boring parts of his contract.

At the other end of the table, Hermione handed a dish piled high with roast potatoes to Bill who was sitting next to her, rolling her eyes at Fred's behaviour. He knew his family didn't give a hippogriff's ass about the details of his contract. All they wanted to know was who his partner was and he was taking too much pleasure in drawing the revelation out. Not that it bothered her, there he dragged it out the less likely he was to tell them it was her. Maybe if she was lucky he'd drag it out till after dessert and she would be able to sneak out before the big revelation was done.

"Enough about that," Ginny interrupted him. "Tell us about your partner, did you meet her?"

"And more importantly," George continued. "Is she single?"

"What? No questions over her level of attractiveness?" Fred questioned his brother and Hermione had to refrain herself from throwing a bread roll at his face and instead contented herself with a grunt of displeasure.

"Well she's a dancer, so by default she has to be attractive, it's simple Arithmancy."

"Ugh, men are such pigs," Ginny complained, spearing a carrot with her fork.

"Hey!" Harry whined.

"Not you babe, you're the exception," she said, patting his thigh. The Weasley brothers sniggered between them, amused at Harry's hurt reaction, which was quickly silenced by one of Ginny's famous death glares.

"Tell us more about your partner?" Molly said trying to bring the conversation back to focus. Despite the fact that her children were all adults now they still managed to behave like toddlers when all together. "I read on the WizardWeb that she's a salsa champion from South America."

"I read zat she is a 'ip-'op star from America," Fleur said while fussing over Dominique who was making a mess of her food.

"Since when do you read gossip sites?" Ginny asked, Fleur was firmly against reality TV shows and took every opportunity she could to tell people how they were killing their brain cells watching such programs.

"Since zis pregnancy, I cannot concentrate on anyzing. It eez driving me crazee," she sighed, shaking her head desolately. "Ze only zing zat I can still follow eez these stupid shows."

"It's just a temporary predicament," Bill cajoled, leaning towards his wife and rubbing her back soothingly, earning him a gagging sound from Ginny.

"She's none of those," Fred interrupted. "And George, she is single but I don't think you would be interested in her. Or vice versa. Especially vice versa."

"Nonsense, who could resist my good looks?"

Hermione choked on her carrot and Ron absentmindedly patted her back while continuously shoveling food into his mouth, his eyes fixed on Fred so as not to miss out on the story.

Fred sat up straighter in his chair, putting his cutlery down and brushing at imaginary crumbs on his shirt. Ginny rolled her eyes at his behaviour, already regretting having left her wand on the kitchen counter where she had been helping Molly. He could do with a spark of two up his pompous ass.

"Hermione," Fred said as if it was explanation enough.

"What about Hermione?" Percy asked, pushing his glasses up his nose, seriously thinking about joining his sister in rolling his eyes if it wasn't so distasteful.

"Hermione's my partner," Fred continued, a proud, triumphant smile on his lips.

"What?" Ron said through his mouthful of half chewed food, a confused look on his face while George spat out his Butterbeer, spraying all those opposite him with the beverage.

"Shut. Up!" Ginny said swinging around in her chair and slapping her fiancé on the shoulder, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Language," both Molly and Fleur shouted, the French woman giving her sister in law a deadly glare as she belatedly covered Dominique's ears.

"I don't understand," Molly said, "I thought you were supposed to be paired with a professional partner? Why aren't you paired with one?" she asked her son.

"I am paired with one. Hermione is a professional dancer," he answered, a smug grin on his face as Hermione squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.

George who had just recovered from his coughing fit took another sip of water to calm himself down only to spit it back out again to the utter delight of Victoire who was now cheering her uncle on with loud shrieks of Encore! Encore!

"I don't understand. I just don't understand," Molly continued shaking her head while spooning more food into the plates of those sitting in her reach. Her whole world had just been thrown off its axis at the news. She couldn't understand that something so significant could have been kept from her. "Hermione dear, can you please tell me what's going on?"

"It's the truth," Hermione said, setting her fork and knife back down. "I've been dancing since I was four."

The table exploded with noise as everyone tried to ask their question at the same time. Fred leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest, proud to have started such pandemonium.

Hermione just stared at them and let them calm down by themselves. Over the years she had learned that there was no point in trying to quieten them down and it was better to just let them ride it out until they realised that their questions were not getting answered.

"Wait, so this isn't a joke" Ron interrupted, staring intently at Hermione.

Hermione fidgeted in her seat, this was the part she had been dreading. "No this isn't a joke Ron. I am Fred's official dance partner on the show."

"How is that possible?" Bill asked as the rest of the table looked on in confusion, only Harry had a smug grin on his face.

Hermione took a gulp of her water before launching into the story of how she became a professional dancer for the second time that day. Part of her felt relieved that she didn't have to hide that side of her to the people she considered as her family and the other part was nervous about what they would think and if they would hold it against her for having kept it a secret for so long.

"Dancing is passion, it's art in the most beautiful human form. There's so much emotion that you can express without a single word. Each movement tells a story, a character that you portray through them. Dancing has taught me so much about hard work and determination. That to succeed in life you have to put the effort in and see things through. In a way dance gave me the tools I needed to become the person I am today," Hermione finished, as a heavy silence took over the room.

"That's wonderful my dear," Mrs Weasley said in amazement, clasping her hands together at her chest.

One the Weasley matriarch had voiced her approval, the onslaught of questions started back anew. Hermione felt a wave of relief wash over her. She had been worried that they would take the news badly, having kept it a secret from them for so long. It was always difficult to judge how Molly would react to such news, especially if it affected any of her children.

"I can't believe I know two people who are going to be on TV," Molly continued, shaking her husband's arms vigorously in her excitement.

"I can't believe the two of you are going to be spending every waking moment together from here on out," George said, his eyes darting mischievously between the two of them. "Who wants to place a bet on who's going to kill who first," he continued, pulling a small roll of parchment from his pocket.

"Me,me,me!" Ginny teased, raising her hand up and bouncing on her chair. "I say Hermione, three weeks."

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head. This was going to be a long summer.


End file.
